Spectrophotometric methods for the determination of certain catecholamine derivatives in pharmaceutical preparations

Two simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric methods for the determination of catecholamine derivatives (pyrocatechol, dopamine, levodopa and methyldopa) are developed. The first method involves the oxidation of o-dihydroxybenzene derivatives by N-bromosuccinimide followed by oxidative coupling with isoniazid leading to the formation of a red-coloured products of maximum absorbance (lambda(max)=480-490 nm). The second method is based on the formation of green to blue complex (lambda(max)=635-660 nm) between o- dihydroxybenzene derivatives and sodium nitroprusside in the presence of hydroxylamine hydrochloride. All measurements of the two procedures are carried out in an alkaline medium at room temperature. The two methods are successfully applied for the determination of dopamine hydrochloride, levodopa and methyldopa in injections and tablets of pharmaceutical preparation. The common excipients used as additives in pharmaceuticals do not interfere in the proposed methods. The reliability of these methods are established by parallel determination with the reported and official methods.